- Date
- July 27, 2001, 17:30 local (22:30 UTC)
- Place
- Wall, SD
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N39971Taylorcraft BC12-D
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 24, 2002
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20010727020249A
- Case key
- 52907
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The student pilot failed to maintain a proper glidepath, failed to obtain proper climb rate, and executed the go-around improperly. Additional factors included the pilot's lack of experience, the crop, and the soft, wet ground.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
The airplane sustained substantial damage during landing roll when it nosed over in a wheat field after attempting to land on a runway (3,500 feet by 60 feet), but impacted the terrain about 150 yards past the runway. The airplane nosed over in the soft, wet ground. The student solo pilot reported he planned on doing a "wheel landing" to the first 1/4 of the runway. He used an approach speed of 65 mph. He reported the airplane floated down the runway and when he saw the end of the runway coming up, he elected to do a "go around." He applied full power and the engine sounded normal. He reported the airplane "just would not climb," and that the airplane did not climb more than "16 feet off the ground." He reported, "The controls were not very effective when the right wing was up and then I crashed." The student pilot's total flight time was 38.6 hours, and all of it had been flown in the accident airplane. He reported he had used automobile gas in the airplane, although no Supplementary Type Certificate (STC) had been issued to the airplane for the use of auto gas. The pilot reported the engine was running smooth; it did not "cough" when full power was applied; and it did not have carburetor ice. The pilot reported the winds were calm and the temperature was 85 degrees F. The elevation at 6V4 is 2,810 feet. The density altitude was about 5,031 feet.
Factual narrative
On July 27, 2001, at 1730 central daylight time, a Taylorcraft BC12-D, N39971, sustained substantial damage during landing roll when it nosed over in a wheat field. The 14 CFR Part 91 student solo flight had departed from a private airstrip located at the pilot's ranch at 1715 en route to the Wall Municipal Airport (6V4), Wall, South Dakota. The student pilot attempted to land on runway 12 (3,500 feet by 60 feet), but impacted the terrain about 150 yards past the runway. The airplane nosed over in the soft, wet ground. The student pilot was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed.
The student pilot reported to a Federal Aviation Administration Operations Inspector that he planned on doing a "wheel landing" to the first 1/4 of the runway. He used an approach speed of 65 mph. He reported the airplane floated down the runway and when he saw the end of the runway coming up, he elected to do a "go around." He applied full power. He reported the engine sounded normal, although he did not look at the tachometer. He reported the airplane "just would not climb," and that the airplane did not climb more than "16 feet off the ground." He reported, "The controls were not very effective when the right wing was up and then I crashed."
The student pilot had purchased the airplane and started flying on June 1, 2001. The student pilot's total flight time was 38.6 hours, and all of it had been flown in the accident airplane. He reported he had used automobile gas in the airplane, although no Supplementary Type Certificate (STC) had been issued to the airplane for the use of auto gas.
The pilot reported the engine was running smooth; it did not "cough" when full power was applied; and it did not have carburetor ice.
The pilot reported the winds were calm and the temperature was 85 degrees F. The elevation at 6V4 is 2,810 feet. The density altitude was about 5,031 feet.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N39971
- Reported as
- Taylorcraft BC12-D
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 6630
- Airframe hours
- 1,084
- Engine
- Continental A65-8, 65 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business · Part 91
- Registered owner
- James Nachtigall
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · June 1, 2001 · 39 hours before
- Departed
- Owanka, SD
- Destination
- 6V4 · Wall, SD
- Airport
- 6V4 · Wall Airport, runway 12, 3,500 × 60 ft, asphalt
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 48
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 39 total · 39 in this make and model · 39 in the last 90 days · 39 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 110° at 7 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 81 °F, dew point 52 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.06 inHg
- Observed at
- RAP, 28 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.
Other investigations on N39971 · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.